Agency funding issue comes up again

Feb. 7, 2013

John Vazquez, Mayor of the Town of Windsor / Beacon library

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Once again, the Windsor Town Board has taken up the issue of how it should provide funds for outside agencies.

“I think the town has got a lot of good with this, and we have not come close to fully utilizing it in the years I’ve been on the board,” said Windsor Mayor John Vazquez.

The funding has been an ongoing issue for the last couple of months for the board. The board in the past few years created a fund of 1.5 percent of the town’s property tax revenue, or about $60,000, to give away to charities and other organizations at the board’s discretion.

Recently, board members have done some work to create an application process, separating applicants by the amount of money requested and the amount of reporting required.

“I’d like to see us get out of the charity business altogether,” said board member Don Thompson. “We can keep this fund, but limit who we give it out to.”

Using the new process, the board gave out its first award Feb. 28 to the Windsor Community Choir, in a split 3-2 vote.

“Look at groups like the Lauren Project,” Vazquez said. “If you look at our policy, this doesn’t fit.”

The Lauren Project is an effort started by the friends of Lauren Johnson and is supervised by her father, Don.

Lauren Johnson was a 2004 graduate of Windsor High School who died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in her Denver apartment while studying at the University of Denver.

The Lauren Project was founded to prevent carbon monoxide deaths and provide aid to people pursuing international volunteerism.

The town board has provided funding to the project in the past, helping them purchase carbon monoxide detectors to give to residents of Windsor during canvassing efforts.

Thompson argued that the Lauren Project was a sure pick because of the demonstrable, measurable benefit.

Board member Myles Baker suggested the board look at budgeting some of the annual requests.

“I’ve suggested that before,” he said.

Vazquez said there were a variety of ideas as to how to solve the outside agency funding situation.